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25
Drainage and Sewerage System
The sewers within the borough are operated on what is known
as the combined system, that is, both the surface water and
sewage are discharged into the same set of pipes which are
designed to take many times the dry weather flow. In the event
of flow above the capacity of the sewers, arrangements are made
so that excess storm water is diverted into the River Thames;
which sometimes involves pumping.
The local sewers, which arenearly 150 miles in length, are under
the control of the borough council, whilst the main sewers are
the responsibility of the London County Council. These main
sewers, as far as the south side of the river is concerned,
eventually discharge their contents at the southern outfall works
at Crossness some 13 miles below London Bridge.
Here the sewage undergoes treatment before the effluent is
discharged into the river-
Drainage plans,
Ail plans are registered with the Borough Engineer but the
Public Health Inspectors are responsible for seeing that the
work is carried out in accordance with the drainage by-laws,
46 plans of new buildings and 54 plans of alteration to existing
drains were deposited. In addition combined drainage was carried
out in 16 cases- There were no cases of relaying defective
comhined drains for which no order had been made by the Council
and no plans could be found and which therefore were deemed to
be sewers repairable by the Council
Atmospheric Pollution.
The year 1956 saw the Clean Air Act placed on the statute
book and certain sections of the Act. notably those dealing with
Smoke Control Areas, came into force on the 31st December, 1956.
Other provisions of the Act dealing with emission of dark smoke,
grit and dirt from industrial furnaces are not yet operative.
There are ten recording stations for atmospheric pollution
in the borough of which three are under the control of the borough
council. These are volumetric smoke and sulphur dioxide recording
machines at the Town Hall and the Tate Library, South Lambeth
Road and a deposit gauge and lead peroxide candle for measuring
sulphur dioxide at the Brixton Hill M. W. B reservoir.
The remainder are controlled by the London County Council
and with one exception are in or within a short distance of
County Hall- These comprise one deposit gauge two lead peroxide
candles and four volumetric smoke and sulphur dioxide recorders.